Automatic grain-scale



(No Model.)

T. H. RIOHARDS.-- AUTOMATIC GRAIN SCALE.

No. 58,842. Patpted 051;. 29, 1895.

I lnwenzar:

AN DREW EGHMMM. PHOTO-LITHDVWI5HI NGI'ON. D.C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS HJRICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

AUTOMATIC GRAIN-SCALE.

v SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 548,842, datedOctober 29, 1895.

Application filed March 9, 1895- Serial No. 541,036- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Grain- Scales, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in bucket-closers for use inconnection with grain-buckets of grain-scales, the object being toprovide a combined bucket-closer and regulator adapted for beingoperated by the material being weighed and for acting on the upperportion of each successive mass or load of material discharged by thegrain-bucket, so as to retard the closing movement of the closer.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification,Figure l is a side elevation, with parts broken away and in section, ofthe lower portion of a weighingmachine and the bucket thereof, thecloser being shown as closing the bucket. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are similarviews showing the bucketcloser in different positions and the action ofthe upper portion of the material weighed on the regulator-blade of thecloser.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures.

For the purpose of illustrating the present improvement it is shownapplied to the bucket of a weighingqnachine of the class described andclaimed in my application, Serial N 0. 541,087, of even date with thisapplication, and only those parts of a weighing-machine will bedescribed which are convenient to successfully demonstrate the operationof the present improvements.

A suitable base is shown at 1, it being provided with means (not shown)for attaching it to a floor or other foundation. The framework forsustaining some of the superimposed working parts of the apparatus isshown composed of the side walls 2, 3, and 4:, which constitute achamber.

The grain-bucket is designated by G, it being in the present instance ofthe singlechambered type.

The bucket-closer is designated by L, and it is shown pivoted or hingedat 5 to the bucket. The closer is shown in fiat plate form provided withan integral substantially-straight arm 5, which terminates in acounterbalance 6 to return the closer to its normal position to closethe bucket. The closer proper is shown as consisting of a plate at 7,with upturned sides 8 to prevent leakage of material from the sides ofthe bucket G when receiving material therein. The closer is also shownwith the lip 9 projecting beyond the point 10 of the bucket, whichfurther assists in preventing the accidental escape of grain in thebucket.

The regulator-blade is shown at 11 as consisting of a plate which issubstantially of obtuse-angular form in cross-section, the portion 12 ofthe blade being shown secured to the closer by screws at 13. The main orrelatively-larger portion of the blade is shown as disposed at such arelative angle to the closer as to temporarily receive and retain acertain indeterminate portion of the material discharged by the bucket,the portion of grain resting on the blade tending to relatively impedeor retard the closer throughout the return or closing movement.

A chamber or compartment composed by the walls of the framework is shownat 14, this chamber constituting the upper portion of the conduit.Thischamber receives the material immediately after it is discharged bythe bucket G, the material being thrown against the side wall 2, andprior to its entrance into the conduit, (designated by D.)

The conduit is shown with its mouth relatively larger than the remainingportion thereof, which construction produces a slight temporary stoppageof the material in the throat of the conduit. This stoppage of the grainproduces at about the point where the material enters the small portionof the conduit a relatively-larger cross-sectional area than at thepointfarthest from said entering-point, which enables the angularly-disposedregulatorsblade to secure a firmer hold on the material shown at 15.

The sidewall 2 of the framework constitutes a vertically-disposedguard-plate, it being shown in immediate proximity to thepath of thecloser and its regulator-blade, as well as to the discharge'opening ofthe bucket G, so that during the closing movement of the closer thematerial will be carried upwardly against said guard plate, which tendsto resist the same. This is important, as it sufficiently prolongs andregulates the period of control of the material by the regulator-bladeto enable said blade to retain a firm hold on the material throughoutthe closing movement of the closer.

The peculiar coaction existing between the side wall 2 and the closer Lis shown more clearly in Fig. 4, and although the closer has nearlyreturned to its normal position the uppermost point 18 is shown ashigher than the points 17 in Fig. 3, although the closer is shown in thelatter figure as just commencing its closing movement.

Referring now to Fig. 1, it will be assumed that the bucket G has justdischarged its load of material, the bucket-closer L being shown asclosing the bucket G and the latter in the act of returning to itsuppermost position to receive another load of material. This figureshows the relative disposition of the closer L and the regulator-blade11, the latter being at such an angle to the closer that when the closeris in a horizontal position all particles of the material will readilyslip from the blade.

Referring now to Fig. 2, this view shows approximately the positionassumed by the closer L when open its full length and thecross-sectional upper outline of the mass or load of material justdischarged by the bucket G, the material being shown as having passednearly below the closer, so as to permit the return movement thereof.The limits of the mass or load of material discharged by the bucket areshown by the dotted line a a in said Fig. 2. The material discharged bythe bucket is thrown forward, or toward what is here shown as theleft-hand side, against the guard-plate formed by the wall 2 of theframework by the force of the closer in opening. It will be observed onreference to said Fig. 2 that a relatively-large proportion remains onthe closer as compared with that resting on or impacted against theregulator-blade.

As the closer L turns on its pivot 5 in the act of closing, theregulator-blade 11 takes a still firmer hold in the material, carryingit upwardly against the side wall 2, and the material resting on orlying in the space formed by the regulator-blade and the closergradually increases in weight, while at the same time the material isgradually slipping from the closer, thereby decreasing the weight of thematerial on the closer.

In Fig. 3 the closer is shown as just discharging the last particles ofgrain, and the mass of grain engaged by the regulator-blade is shown asbeing proportionately greater than that shown in Fig. 2. As the closer Lcloses,

the mass of grain, which impedes the closing movement of the closer byresting against the angularly-disposed regulator-blade 11, graduallyincreases, until the closer has nearly as sumed a horizontal position,or in a plane at an extremely-acute angle to the plane of the lower edgeof the bucket.

In Fig. 4 the closer is shown as being nearly in a horizontal position,or as closing the bucket. It will be observed that the closer hasdischarged all particles of the material which rested thereon, as shownin Fig. 3; but the mass of material resting upon, or impacted againstthe regulator-blade 11 is shown as be ing relatively larger, graduallyincreasing in size until the point 16 of the regulator-blade is nearlyopposite the uppermost portion 18 of the grain and nearly in horizontalline therewith. When the regulator-blade reaches this point, the mass ofgrain resting thereon gradually decreases in weight by slipping from theblade but not sufiiciently to too rapidly close the bucket. When thepoint 16 of the blade is above uppermost portion 18 of the grain, thecloser is nearly in a horizontal position, so that a relatively-smallspace exists between the point 10 of the bucket and the lip 9 of thecloser. When the closer assu mes a horizontal position, all portions ofthe material will slip from the regulator-blade by reason of its angulardisposition.

In Fig. 1 the regulator-blade 11 is shown as having wholly dischargedall particles of the material and the closer is shown closed, the bucketbeing in the act of rising to receive another load or mass of material.

While the angular disposition of the blade 11 relative to the closer Lshown in the drawings is a convenient one, it is obvious that it may beincreased or decreased to any extent, so long as the peculiar tendencyof said blade 11 to carry up the material against the side wall 2throughout the closing movement of the closer is present, which, owingto its proximity to the closer L and the discharge-opening of thebucket, permits this result from the time the closer has commenced itsclosing movement.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the dotted lines I) b and c 0 indicate therelative radial movements of the closer and blade, the pivot of theformer being the center. The radial movement of the blade 11 is shownprojecting relatively beyond that of the closer L, which enables theblade 11 to secure a firm hold on the material in advance of the closerL, as

IIO

well as materially assisting in carrying the material upwardly againstthe side wall or guard-plate 2.

By reason of the angular disposition of the blade 11 it is apparent thata relatively-wide blade can be used by securing said blade to the closerat a relatively-remote distance from its edge 9; at the same timeenabling the blade to project beyond the said edge 9, during the closingmovement of the closer. This is important, as it insures the blade 11retaining sufficient of the material to retard the closer during andthroughout its closing movement and renders it more efficient than arelatively-narrow blade.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a mechanism of theclass specified, the

combination, with a bucket having a discharge opening, and with a sidewall adjacent to said opening; of a swinging-closer for the bucket;means for normally closing the closer; and a regulator-blade on thecloser, and in position and adapted to retain hold of the dischargedmaterial, after the same has passed from the closer: whereby saidmaterial is carried upwardly against said side wall by theregulator-blade, and the duration of resistance of the dischargedmaterial, to the closin g movement of the closer, is prolonged, and

said wall by the regulator-blade, and the duration of resistance of thedischarged material, to the closing movement of the closer, is prolongedfor regulating said closing movement, substantially as described.

3. In a mechanism of the class specified, the combination, with a buckethaving a lower discharge-opening, and with a side wall adj acent to saidopening; ofa closer for the bucket; means for normally closing thecloser; and a regulator-blade extending downwardly from the closer, andset thereon remote from the discharge edge of the closer, and at anangle thereto, and made of a Width to extend beyond the radius ofmovement of the closer, for retaining hold of the discharged material asthis leaves the closer; whereby said material is carried upwardlyagainst said side wall by the regulator-blade, and the duration ofresistance of the discharged material, to the closing movement of thecloser, is prolonged and regulated, substantially as described.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

FRED. J. DOLE, F. N. CHASE.

